Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Trial Opens in Miami for Four Men Accused in Assassination of Haiti’s President

The case centers on alleged Miami-based planning that financed Colombian mercenaries through firms including CTU.

A man walks by graffiti on a wall demanding justice for slain President Jovenel Moïse in Petionville. Normally the street would be clogged with bumper-to-bumper traffic. But fear has many people staying off the streets or going home early. (Jose A. Iglesias/Miami Herald/TNS)
Image
Image

Overview

  • Prosecutors opened by arguing the plot was driven by greed, arrogance and a bid for power, while defense lawyers said a chaotic Haitian probe miscast a planned arrest as an assassination.
  • The four defendants on trial — Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla and James Solages — pleaded not guilty to conspiring in South Florida to kidnap or kill Jovenel Moïse and face possible life sentences.
  • U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra has set aside more than two months for the proceedings after earlier delays tied to voluminous evidence.
  • A 12-person jury with four alternates was seated after questioning more than 100 prospects, and opening statements began Tuesday in downtown Miami.
  • Court filings describe planning and financing routed through South Florida entities CTU and Worldwide Capital, including a reported $175,000 credit line and the recruitment of Colombian ex-soldiers; Moïse was killed on July 7, 2021, and his widow, Martine Moïse, is expected to testify.